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THE FAERY QUEEN E.

BOOK

IV.

CONTAINING

THE LEGEND OF CAMBEL AND TELAMOND, OR OF FRIENDSHIP.

1.

THE rugged forhead, that with graye forefight
Welds kingdomes caufes and affairs of ftate,
My loofer rimes, I wote, doth sharply wite
For praising love as I have done of late,
And magnifying lovers deare debate,
By which fraile youth is oft to follie led
Through false allurement of that pleasing baite,
That better were in vertues difcipled,

Then with vaine poemes weeds to have their fancies fed.

11.

Such ones ill iudge of love that cannot love,
Ne in their frofen hearts feele kindly flame;
Forthy they ought not thing unknowne reprove,
Ne naturall affection faultleffe blame,

For fault of few that have abusd the fame;
For it of honor and all vertue is

In love were either ended or begunne;
Witnesse the father of Philofophie,
Which to his Critias, fhaded oft from funne,
Of love full manie lessons did apply,
The which thefe Stoicke cenfours cannot wel
deny.

1V.

To fuch, therefore, I do not fing at all, But to that facred faint my foveraigne Queene, | In whose chast brest all bountie naturall, And treasures of true love, enlocked beene, Bove all her fexe that ever yet was feene; To her I fing of love, that loveth best, And beft is lov'd of all alive I weene; To her this fong moft fitly is addreft, The Queene of Love, and Prince of Peace fr

heven bleft.

V.

The roote, and brings forth glorious flowres of Which that the may the better deigne to heare,

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Do thou, dred Infant! Venus' dearling dove,
From her high fpirit chace imperious feare,
And ufe of awfull maieftie remove:
Infted thereof, with drops of melting love
Deawd with ambrofiall kiffes, by thee gotten
From thy fweete-fmyling mother from above,
Sprinckle her heart, and haughtie courage for
That the may hearke to love, and reade this k

often.

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And make her wounded mind, both did and With that her gliftring helmet the unlaced, fayd

For many things fo doubtfull to be wayd,
That well the wift not what by them to gueffe;
For otherwhiles to her the purpos made
Of love, and otherwhiles of luftfulnesse,

That much fhe feard his mind would grow to
fome exceffe.

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Which doft, her golden lockes, that were up

bound

Still in a knot, unto her heeles downe traced,
And like a filken veile in compaffe round
About her backe and all her bodie wound;
Like as the fhining skie in fummer's night,
What time the dayes with fcorching heat abound,
Is creafted all with lines of fierie light,
That it prodigious feemes in common peoples
fight.

XIV.

Such when thofe knights and ladies all about
Beheld her, all were with amazement smit,
And every one gan grow in fecret dout
Of this and that, according to each wit:
Some thought that fome enchantment faygned it;
Some that Bellona, in that warlike wife,
To them appear'd, with fhield and armour fit;
Some that it was a maske of strange disguise:
So diverfely each one did fundrie doubts devife.

XV.

But that young knight, which through her gentle
deed

Was to that goodly fellowship reftor'd,
Ten thousand thankes did yeeld her for her meed,
And doubly over-commen her ador'd;
So did they all their former ftrife accord;
And eke fayre Amoret, now freed from feare,
More franke affection did to her afford,
And to her bed, which she was wont forbeare,
Now freely drew, and found right fafe affurance
theare.

XVI.

Where all that night they of their loves did treat,
And hard adventures, twixt themselves alone,
That each the other gan with paflion great,
And griefe-full pittie, privately bemone.
The morrow next, fo foone as Titan fhone,
They both uprofe, and to their waies them dight;
Long wandered they, yet never met with none
That to their willes could them direct aright,
Or to them tydings tell that mote their harts
delight.

XVII.

Lo thus they rode, till at the laft they spide
Two armed knights that toward them did pace,
And cach of them had ryding by his fide
A lady, feeming in fo farre a space;
But ladies none they were, albee in face

And outward fhew faire femblance they did beare;
For under mafke of beautie and good grace
Vile treafon and fowle falfhood hidden were,
That mote to none but to the wearie wife appeare.

XVIII.

The one of them the falfe Dueffa hight,
That now had chang'd her former wonted hew;
For fhe could do'n fo manie fhapes in fight,
As ever could cameleon colours new;
So could the forge all colours fave the trew

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